Description
Towards a Decolonial Feminism
Book Summary
In this fundamental work, María Lugones articulates a profound critique of hegemonic Western feminism from the perspective of women of color and the Global South. The author proposes a decolonial feminism that unmasks the intersection of gender, race, class, and coloniality oppressions. Through her personal experience and rigorous theoretical analysis, Lugones provides the conceptual tools to build a truly liberating and pluralistic feminist struggle, far removed from exclusionary universalisms.
What is it about?
María Lugones develops the concept of "coloniality of gender" to explain how the colonial system imposed a binary and hierarchical categorization of the sexes that destroyed pre-existing forms of social and gender organization in non-Western communities. The author criticizes white, bourgeois feminism for ignoring these power dynamics and for often reproducing colonial logic. Drawing on her own biography, which includes a forced psychiatric institutionalization from which she managed to escape, Lugones vindicates the resistance, subjectivity, and agency of subaltern women. The book proposes a methodology for a decolonial feminism that recognizes the complexity of oppressions and is built upon coalition and colonial difference.
Main Topics
- Coloniality of gender and critique of the sexual binarism imposed by colonialism.
- Intersectionality of gender, race, class, and colonial oppression.
- Critique of hegemonic Western feminism and its ethnocentric bias.
- Resistance and agency of women of color and the Global South against multiple systems of oppression.
- Proposal for a decolonial methodology for feminist theory and practice.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is intended for students and scholars of social sciences, gender studies, feminist theory, and decolonial thought. It is also an essential read for activists and individuals interested in understanding critiques of traditional feminism and exploring more inclusive and anti-racist perspectives. It will be of great value to those seeking a rigorous and personal analysis of how the colonial legacy continues to shape contemporary power relations.
What this book offers
- A deep and original understanding of the link between colonialism and gender through the concept of "coloniality of gender."
- Theoretical tools to analyze the multiple and interconnected oppressions faced by non-white and non-Western women.
- A well-founded and necessary critique of hegemonic feminism, inviting a rethink of the foundations of feminist activism and theory.
- A situated and autobiographical perspective that enriches academic debate with the author's vital experience as an exiled Argentine woman and survivor of psychiatric violence.
- A political and methodological proposal for building alliances and coalitions based on decolonial difference and resistance.
Technical Specifications
- Author: LUGONES, MARIA
- Publisher: ETERNA CADENCIA EDITORA SRL, CUIT
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: PROSE: NON-FICTION, LITERARY ESSAYS, FEMINISM AND FEMINIST THEORY, ANTHROPOLOGY
- Collection: PLURIVERSOS
- Publication date: October 2024
- Number of pages: 190
- Weight: 275 g
Editorial Assessment
This work by María Lugones establishes itself as an essential reference text for those who wish to delve into decolonial feminist thought. Her theoretical proposal, anchored in the author's personal and political experience, offers a lucid and necessary critique of universalisms, opening paths for a more pluralistic, anti-racist feminism committed to global justice. It is a reading that challenges certainties and enriches contemporary debate on gender and power.